"Lady Sterne have you heard?" Cecelia twittered as soon as she spotted the little lady in the meadows walking her pony. 

Sterne at the moment was busy defending Blitz (her pony) from the barkings of two sheep dogs. 

"Hush you!" She said indignantly. "Leave Blitz alone, you are frightening him."    

Grandpa Haw could not help but laugh as he shooed the dogs back to the flock. 

Sterne: (＃｀д´)ﾉ yes, go away!  

"Whyever do they often harass Blitz when he's here? My poor one, he only wished to graze in peace." 

"Perhaps because they are jealous, milady?" Grandpa Haw remarked jokingly. "Of all the war horses in the territory Blitz could be said to be the most pampered one. You have rarely ridden it and walked it around instead." 

Sterne blinked her eyes and turned to Emilia for answers. 

"Is it?"

Emilia dodged her gaze. 

She pouted. 

Today's lunch was spread on a picnic blanket under the oak tree. Cecelia, who was invited to sit, happily shared the exciting news she had been longing to say earlier. 

"A thief was caught in Madame Urd and Claire's shop a few days ago and it was such a surprise that it was someone whom they thought so dearly for." The girl said.   

Her statement caught everyone's attention. Eager to know more, Sterne encouraged her to talk. 

"Oh, no milady. You shouldn't indulge her." Grandpa Haw disagreed. 

He does not wish to subject the little lady to his granddaughter's non-stop gossiping. 

Sterne giggled and waved it off. "It's alright grandpa Haw, I insist." 

Cecelia's eyes brightened. "Hehe, thank you milady." 

"Go on, please." 

"Yes. As I was saying, it was someone they knew and trusted!" Cecelia continued with feelings. "But how they caught the culprit was the real exciting part of the story. Apparently, the madames have heard news about shabby imitated fabrics circulating in the market using Nachtwald's name. In order to prevent the items from being copied, they imposed strict monitoring around the craftsmen and workers of the shop but alas, the news about fakes still did not stop."

"What happened next?" Sterne asked, reaching for a tart to nibble on. 

Cecelia did the same and took a mouthful of tea after, "The madames hired a distant cousin who is a professional actor to pose as a new employee. He pretends to be a man begrudging the madames in order to attract the attention of the enemy and you know what?"

"What?" Everyone waited in suspense.

"It worked, of course! The person came to the cousin offering him a sum to help steal a few blueprints in the madams' office. Guess who it was?"

Sterne thought of the twins' acquaintance and could name a few quite important figures. But she dare not guess who had a heart to betray madame Urd and Claire. They were such sweet ladies. 

"It's their niece Miss Eve!" Cecelia exclaimed in a sour face. "I just knew she was not a good person! She seems so… so proud." 

Emilia did not show any adverse reaction. Sterne on the other hand wondered why the name was familiar. 

"Miss Eve was once hired as a maid in the manor, milady." Emilia whispered. "She has a little son." 

Oh, so that's it. She recalled when she was five there was such a woman named Eve who was removed from the post and sent to her aunts in another town. Eve appears not to get along well with Miss Amy…  

Cecelia went on to tell the story, "The cousin took the money and agreed to Miss Eve's condition. Meanwhile he told the madames about her plan, as for the particulars, I'm afraid I can no longer say clearly because the adults found out I was eavesdropping hehe… anyway I heard later that Miss Eve was colluding with the merchants from Bragg territory. They pay her to spy on Trefoil's newly released fabrics!" 

Sterne choked on her tea. Bragg, as in the barony of Bragg? 

"Worry not, milady. The issue with the imitations were all solved and the culprit has been caught." Emilia assured as she patted her lady's back gently. 

Sterne nodded. 

She was, however, impressed by the method the madames used to attract the attention of the enemy and to know the truth. Such a clever trick of using an actor to dig on the source of the problem. She admired it so much that she thought about it until she returned home.

   

"Dorn,"

The call summoned five elite Phantoms in a blink of an eye. Flanking her on each side the hidden guards in full black uniform look at the young lady poring over the map.

"Welcome back everyone, has training been fruitful?" 

Dorn and his colleagues seem to see their entire life flash before his eyes. "F-Fruitful? Yes, milady." 

They made it back in one piece after all.

"Is there something happening in Nebel City lately?"

Dorn scrunched up his eyebrows. "Milady, according to the information sent by our brothers there will be an event held there three days from now and everyone is allowed to participate. Reports said that passage to an old ruin will open, aside from that there is nothing else."

Her eyes lit up. "Do you want to earn merits? I have the perfect job for you."

"Milady, the five of us just returned. We were tasked to stay by your side. We cannot leave."

"I have Emilia and Viktor with me."

Dorn grunted. "You can't possibly be thinking of abandoning us."

Pffft, the captain as always says the stupidest thing. The guards thought. If there is going to be someone who's going to get abandoned here, it's just you alone. Don't count us in!

Sterne gave him an eye-roll. "No, I'm helping you accomplish an impossible task."

"Please, protecting you is already an impossible task." He grumbled. The more you hate being followed, the more we are going to stick with you, humph!  

Earning merits sure has its advantages but if that directly interferes with their primary objective, they can only ignore it. Their priority has always been her safety… and theirs. Don't even mention Lord Commander and her brothers, the whole Nachtwald will lynch them and kick their corpses if something happened to her.     

Thinking about self-preservation is not entirely wrong!

Sterne looked outside the window and said quite off-handedly, "Dorn, what do you say about acting?" 

 

***

In the small city of Nebel in the southwest fiefs, at a place formerly known as paradise, there exists a forgotten area: the southwest's most scenic town frequented by several wealthy families, but now a wide poisonous swamp, the town of Aster. It was cordoned by a 4th Tier barrier made by an ancient Arch Mage the kingdom personally requested from the primordial city Holy Dipterus.

No one seems to remember it these days, but once, Aster received hundreds of families either from the nobility or merchant households. The folks living in the area were ecstatic with the business booming until that massacre happened. A single female decimated the town in just one night. Some say that she was cursed because the survivors after her rampage began dying one after another. Those people who fled from the tiny town of Aster were not spared either.

Was it really a curse?

Of course, there is ought to be some inconsistency. For example, the girl did not kill that many, the victims were less than ten, a few F-rank and E-rank monsters in the mix and most importantly, it wasn't a curse. It wasn't even contagious. The accurate details are in the hands of Obsidian who were there that night. Unfortunately for those who want to seek the truth, those squad of soldiers who held that slim clue are either missing in action or killed in action.

In all the horror stories of Nebel City, nothing held more dread and fierce hate than the tale of what was once a magnificent paradise. It can silence the most stubborn child throwing a fit and is also an effective contraceptive if discussed in bed.

Those who are crazy enough to dare come within a kilometre are either suicidal or hot-blooded Adventurers.

One hour by horseback from that notorious cursed place is the flourishing city of Nebel. At the time when Aster was cordoned, several eccentrics gathered to witness the 'death' of the former paradise. It was a heartbreak to some but a glee to many, especially to the adventurers from Freedom Federation seeking profit. Weapon and armour shops, apothecaries, and inns sprouted like weeds when everyone thought the commerce finally reached its end.

Three people wordlessly entered the second largest inn while listening to the locals and visitors alike retelling the tragedy from years back.

Dressed in black trousers and moss green overcoat, the androgynous features of the boy stole many eyes as they stepped in. Sharp grey pair of eyes swept inside the room of less than thirty customers and stopped at the vacant table by the window on the right.       

"Welcome dear customers, how many people will be dining with us today?" The receptionist asked in a friendly tone.

The child in front of him wore ordinary clothes but his posture and features gave away his noble upbringing. Beside him are two people wearing black cloaks, a teenage girl and a boy with eyeglasses. Far from the rowdy adventurers, the new arrivals don't seem to have come for the event this week. Perhaps only passing travellers as each person only brought small satchels with them. Unlike those people on the second floor who brought their entire armoury and wardrobe giving him all sorts of headaches. Over the years of working in this inn, he could already discern who is here to stay for long from those who like to rest for a spell.

"Just us three." Sterne replied and walked directly towards the empty table.

The inn is a simple three-storey wooden building with exposed beams overhead. A dozen tables and a long counter further north. As Sterne sat, the view of Leise Mountain can be seen with its black fog swirling. 

"As expected, it's beginning to form." She murmured rolling the small colourless marble between her fingers.

"Sir Ahmose only allowed us to stay here in the city, we are not to approach that mountain no matter what happens." Emilia reminded her subtly seeing that her eyes are pinned far ahead.

She nodded.

Viktor, however, found that the young lady had been acting strange since they entered Nebel. He'd been wondering, since this is the first town she visited outside of Nachtwald, she ought to be excited. The surrounding is lively and filled with goods from different regions and countries, enough to surprise her yet she remained silent. 

What was even more odd is that she would look around neither with joy or curiosity. There is only one thing: wariness.

"Do you think there might be something dangerous up there?" Viktor asked casually, trying to guess her thoughts.

"None at the moment."

He and Emilia looked at each other strangely. Sterne noticed it and just smiled faintly. 

"The marble is clear, if there is something dangerous you know that this will turn dark red."

"Cough… you're right." Viktor said, scratching his cheek. That little device is something he stole from the Magic Bureau years ago, it reacts to miasma from within a hundred miles. How could he forget?

While waiting for food, the three chatted idly and began to relax.   

"Why hasn't anyone delivered our food yet?"

From the second floor, an average-looking young man came down wearing a familiar overcoat. Though he wore casual outwear, the coat's colour and design cannot be ignored. The Royal Academy!

"Please inform Sir Ziege's order will be done in ten more minutes." The manager said amicably.

Ziege? Stern's eyes flickered.   

"Then what are you dawdling here for? Make haste or else Sir Ziege will personally come down here. I assure you, you would not want that." the arrogant man said. "Did you know that he is soon to be ordained as a Royal Knight? My advice is that you do your best to service him. A little mistake and he is displeased, this shabby inn of yours will disappear."

Due to many orders from the guests, the kitchen is frantically scrambling to finish the dishes. The manager is helpless during this situation, all the kitchen staff already have their hands full then an irksome person suddenly demands the impossible.    

"Why does it take so long?" A voice cut in from upstairs. "This won't do, just a small meal and you cannot even properly serve?" 

The sound of heels tapping against the wooden stairs punctuated his irritated words.

"Innkeeper, is this how your establishment treats guests or is it because you're simply belittling us?"

"Pardon me sir, it will be ready in a little while." 

"In a little while? We are starving. I see the others already had theirs!" 

The people below started to look in one direction searching for the owner of the voice. The innkeeper wiped the sweat off his brow as the figure slowly descended. With just a few words the simple delay has already escalated to a huge complaint about the inn's integrity.

Some people shook their heads. Nobles are really troublesome. 

"This is unheard of!" 

The speaker finally showed himself and looked down at the dining hall displeased. It was a young man wearing the black military coatee of the prestigious Royal Academy, on his belt attached a longsword. His features may not be too eye-catching but he has a certain appeal to him pronounced by the clothing he is wearing.

This person…

"Black coat. Royal Academy?" Viktor frowned when he recognized the uniform. 

A few years ago, Sterne wrote down the contents of her dream. To make sure that she does not forget, she made it a habit to peek at them from time to time but she had been occupied lately. If it weren't for her uncles reminding her of the graduation she could have forgotten the event until it was too late to take measures.

Among those scribbles, one is starting to come to reality.

The third month of Year of the Herald 1612, the top students of Royal Academy graduates-to-be are given the final task of solving the anomaly in Aster Town at the foot of Leise Mountain. Kyrios Nachtwald, the young lord who painstakingly finds clues to solve the mystery, is not among those who are successfully ordained. There is this Karion Ziege, however, the main culprit of her brother's fall from grace. The biggest star who reaped numerous honours and praise from the rector of the academy to the Grand Commander of Chivalric Order, giving him the opportunity to be a part of the Halcyon Knights also known as the Royal Knights.  

Karion  came from the bottom, his origins unknown and not a remarkable achievement in his six years inside the academy. For someone who is below mediocre and not included in the task in Aster, how is he able to climb from the bottom to top?

Sterne took a deep breath to calm herself as she watched him look at everyone with such disdain.  

This trip to Nebel City has not wasted her time after all. Who would have thought that Karion  Ziege would be here as well delivering himself right to her feet?

Originally, she only wanted Phantom to expose the lies buried deep within Aster and understand why Kyrios failed to finish his final assignment. She did not expect to be this lucky.   

Emilia and Viktor saw her expression change when the man upstairs descended.  

"I thought Nebel city is too unrefined for the likes of those who are ranked." Viktor whispered with unhidden sarcasm. "Pray ask what brought this pompous peacock to this side of the kingdom." 

 

Meanwhile, at the city gates, a tattered young man dragging a threadbare bag stood in line waiting to enter Nebel. In the mix of adventurers, travellers and merchants, his dirty person stood out.

"This is it… I'm finally back." He said with both longing and sadness vivid in his eyes.

With his heartfelt words, others could not help but look at the person with sympathy. The poor lad for sure has travelled far just to come here. The news of a ruin opening must have lured him here to try his luck, but as they listen to his mutterings it turns out that the lad is neither adventurer or a traveller, he is a former local. What's more, he came from the cursed town of Aster!

On the second floor of the inn, Karion Ziege received the news he had been waiting for.

"A person who knew about Aster? Where is he?"

"Karion, are you certain about this news?" His companion Weevil sneered at the waiter hobbling beside them.

Not long after when their food arrived, he kicked this stupid looking fellow. Now he's limping but despite that he still gave information. Why wouldn't he when his pockets are stuffed with silvers?

"Didn't all the people from there die?"

"We cannot be too sure, there is bound to be one or two that remain. I must get this chance to get to him first or else..."  

"Is this idiot really telling the truth?"

Karion, though annoyed with his companion's incessant questioning, retained his calm. "We can always arrange that when he's being dishonest. Can't we?" Then he raised his eyebrow on the waiter. "I heard you are already married and the missus is particularly a sweet young lady. Would you mind introducing her to us?"

The waiter shivered in fright as he thought of the fate of his wife. Oh heavens, what is wrong with these people? Aren't they supposed to be knights? They are not drunk and yet they were acting worse than those drunks in the streets. Added by Weevil's leer, the waiter's head shrunk to his shoulders.

"Sir I… I am telling the truth. That person is staying at an inn not far from here."

"Good then." Karion smirked. "It was too bad we won't be seeing your wife anytime soon."